Cutie Mark Crusaders, Operation Rescue
by SkylightStars
Summary: It seems a monster has been stealing fillies and colts from Ponyville, and now Sweetie Belle has been taken as well. Will Apple Bloom and Scootaloo be able to rescue her? My first story, super excited. Comments and tips greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

"Can you believe this Rarity? One of my friends at school has been colt-napped!" Sweetie Belle huffed as she waved around the school newspaper with her soft green magic.

"That's terrible! Who on earth would do such a thing?" Rarity tossed her mane back, marching around her latest creation and finding loose threads. Sweetie slammed the paper down, walking in circles and finally sitting in the corner.

"I don't understand, why Button Mash? He was one of the sweetest colts in my class!" Sweetie blushed, recalling her friend's face and soft brown coat. Rarity walked over and put a hoof on her chin, knowing the filly had a small crush on her disappearing friend.

"Don't you worry Sweetie Belle, they'll find him soon. But this is a warning to you little filly. Be careful who you trust on the street, Ponyville may be a safe place but that doesn't mean you and your friends can run around and talk to anybody." Rarity resumed her work, and Sweetie rolled her eyes. She hated when her sister gave her mini-lectures. She decided to leave before another one came.

Just as she put her hoof on the doorknob, the door burst open.

"RARITY!" Pinkie ran in, nearly toppling Sweetie Belle. She got up and dusted herself off, storming out with a frown. She didn't feel like listening to Pinkie's high- energy voice right now.

Making her way to the clubhouse, Sweetie looked around at all of the ponies in town, not really believing one of them would filly-nap her.

 _I've known most of these ponies since I was born._ She thought. _What kind of monster would want to steal young ponies?_

Crossing into Sweet Apple Acres, she did the secret knock on the door of the clubhouse. A voice rang from inside.

"Who goes there?!" Apple bloom said.

"It's Sweetie Belle, let me in!"

"How do I know it's you and not some Pig-headed filly-stealer?" Sweetie rolled her eyes.

"Yesterday you ate so much pudding it nearly came out your nose." There was a small "click" as an embarrassed Apple bloom opened the door.

"I'm sorry Sweetie, it's just I'm all afraid since Button Mash got taken and I don't wanna get taken too." she sat in the corner.

"It's okay, but you won't get taken. Applejack and Big Mac would never allow it." Sweetie Belle said. Apple bloom smiled.

"You're right. It ain't gonna happen. I just wish we knew who took him, Button was nice." Apple bloom said. Sweetie blushed.

"Me too, and I was thinking maybe we could-" She was cut off when the door splintered and the girls screamed.

"I'M GOING TO STEAL YOU!" A hooded figure bellowed. Sweetie glanced at the scooter and breathed.

"Scootaloo! Don't scare us like that!" Scootaloo took off the hood and shook out her short mane. Apple bloom glared at her.

"How could you? I'm already scared about being stolen without you going around and frightening us." she said. Scootaloo just parked her scooter in the corner and fluttered her wings.

"No pony else is getting taken, relax Bloom. Besides, anyone who tries is gonna get it!" Scootaloo chucked her hoofs in the air, hitting an invisible target.

"I know I know, Sweetie already told me. I just can't think of losing one of you girls, getting taken by a strange pony." Sweetie Belle perked up at this. What if it wasn't a pony that stool Button Mash? She pushed the thought away.

"I was trying to tell Apple Bloom, before we were interrupted, that I want to go look for Button Mash." Both fillies stared at her in dismay.

"You mean...you want to go search for him? But the investigators said that he was taken into..the...the..." Apple bloom stopped, lost in thought.

"The Everfree Forest! I wanna go!" Scootaloo jumped at the sound of adventure.

The three fillies hashed out a plan, despite Apple bloom's protests. They decided what they were going to do, where they were going to start. This wasn't the first time they've been to the Everfree forest, and they survived before. What could go wrong?

Making they're way across town with filled saddlebags, the three went to the other side of town and stared into the dark, shadowy trees.

"Ready girls?" Scootaloo said. Apple bloom tightened her bow.

"I don't know about this..." she stepped back, fighting. Scoots put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. Apple bloom smiled.

Just as they took the first steps in a voice rang out from above.

"What do you three think you're doing?"

All three fillies flinched at the sound of Rainbow Dash's voice. Sweetie Belle turned confidently.

"We are going to find Button Mash." Rainbow landed and folded her wings, cocking her head.

"Now I'm usually all for breaking the rules, but does Rarity know you're here?" She shook out the bits of cloud in her rainbow-colored mane. Sweetie Belle shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes?" She squeaked, knowing she wasn't a good liar. Rainbow Dash smiled.

"Let's get you guys home." Apple bloom and Scootaloo slumped, and started walking towards Rainbow. Sweetie stared hard at the ground in frustration, imagining Button deep in the woods with some monster. Then she stomped her hoof, and ran into the Everfree forest.

"Sweetie Belle! Come Back!" Apple bloom yelled. All she saw was Sweetie's white flank disappearing into the dark bushes.

 **Author's note: Phew, I know it doesn't look like much yet, but I'm excited. Hope you liked the first chapter, comments/tips are greatly appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note : Hey everyone! Thanks for the encouraging comments, hopefully this next chapter will be longer, I'll try my best!**

Sweetie Belle ran as far as her little legs would carry her, jumping into a scratchy bush with unusually large leaves. She was concealed fairly well, considering the stark difference between her white coat and the forest plants. Hearing Rainbow Dash flying past, she ducked as low as she could.

"Sweetie Belle! This isn't funny! Get back here before...before something happens!" Rainbow wavered from her usually confident tone, which planted a little fear in Sweetie Belle. If a confident pony like Rainbow Dash was afraid of the Everfree forest, what made her think she could take it on alone?

" _Stop it."_ she told herself. _"You have to find Button."_

Eventually she couldn't her the soft beat of Rainbow's wings anymore. She peered out from behind the leaves, looking in both directions before stepping from the thorny bush. One had apparently pierced her side, though she hadn't felt it as blood trickled down her foreleg. Suddenly she heard calls in the distance, but instead of running she listened. It was muffled, but she could just make out:

"Did you see her? Maybe she...that way...no don't go in there Apple Bloom! Let's get...Rarity.."

She didn't know who's voice belonged to who, but at the mention of her sister she began jogging deeper into the forest. Even if she knew she'd be in trouble, she had to find Button Mash. As Sweetie jogged, she heard strange noises that were foreign to her, little creaks of old trees and "Buzz's" of animals and insects that she had never heard before. Trying to think of a plan, she followed a row of bushes that seemed to lead to a small creek. It turned out to be more mud than water. Feeling strangely tired, she found a smooth rock and decided to rest her hooves.

"Come on Sweetie, think!" she told herself. "If I were a pony-napper...or a monster that takes ponies...where would I go?" Her eyes followed the mud and she noticed a rocky trail that lead to a different patch of woods.

"Are those...hoof prints?" She squinted her vision a bit fuzzy, and realized there was a set of small hoof prints, too small to be a full-size pony, but big enough to be a young colt's...

"Button!" she jumped up and began wading through the mud, attempting to reach the prints up close. Her head felt dizzy, she nearly fell over into the mud.

That was when she heard a low growl...

The rock she was sitting on, it was...moving. It lifted, and rose higher and higher, until it was past the treetops. The entire mud-creek shook as the creatures body rose out of the ground. Trees, pallets of stone, and thick bushes rearranged to form the shape of a body. Trying to jump back, she realized the mud was trying to swallow her. The creature was shifting the muck so it would move towards him.

" _It's almost like a Timber Wolf"_ she thought, only this was much bigger. She noticed the soft magically aura encircling it, off-green almost resembling hers.

"It's magic!" Sweetie thought aloud, though it was impossible to hear over the rumbling. It's face finished forming and it's red eyes turned to face her. The moment they locked eyes her vision started to go black. Sweetie Belle didn't even have time to scream, and she passed out before the creature dove for her, jaws wide open.

Back in Ponyville...

"What do you mean she went into the forest?!" Rarity paced back and forth around the boutique, fuming at Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, who were trying to make themselves melt into the floorboards.

"She said she was trying to find Button Mash..." Apple Bloom squeaked.

"Not even the royal guard can find Button right now! What makes you think that the three of you could?" She plunked onto her fainting couch, frazzled with worry. Rainbow had left moments before, mumbling apologies for not being able to chase after Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo spoke up.

"Maybe there is something they missed! Some clue they didn't notice before that we could find! Button is our friend, and Sweetie Belle was only trying to help!" Her wings were buzzing in frustration. Rarity sighed.

"I know girls, I understand. I'm not mad I'm just worried. The Everfree forest has dangerous magic that not even Princess Twilight can understand. I just hope shes alright." The young fillies looked at the floor, studying her hooves. The bell sounded at the front of the boutique, and Applejack and Big Macintosh walked in.

"Apple Bloom! What's this all about?" Applejack walked over to her younger sister. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom explained what happened. Applejack looked at Rarity.

"Is this true what y'all here are saying? Is Sweetie Belle missin'?" Rarity nodded sadly.

"Apple Bloom, you and Big Mac get back to the farm. Drop Scootaloo off at home on your way back. I'm going with Rarity to help find Sweetie." Big Mac nodded, ready to push the younger ponies out the door.

"Wait! I wanna go with you! I want to help find her!" Scootaloo said.

"You fillies have done enough. Get home where it's safe and warm." Rarity said, flouncing over to the closet and searching for some proper attire.

"Applejack and I will find Sweetie Belle and bring her back home." They grumbled but followed Big Mac out the door. Applejack turned to Rarity.

"Don't worry Sugar cube, we'll find your sister." Rarity nodded, but her expression revealed her true feelings.

"I just hope nothing bad has happened to her, I can't stand the thought knowing she's out there in a dangerous forest with a pony-napper on the loose."

Applejack peered out the at the sunset.

"Trust me, our past experiences in the Everfree forest haven't all been fun and games, I know. But I know we'll find her. But we should move."

Rarity agreed, and packed a quick saddlebag full of essentials. They rushed towards the door, but Rarity stopped to turn out the lights in the boutique. As she locked the door, she realized something. If Button had been taken about a week ago, and the pony-napper was no where to be found, doesn't that mean he could be anywhere by now? She quickly shook the thought away. She had to focus on Sweetie Belle first. Rarity turned to Applejack.

"Let's go."


End file.
